Scars
by Reading Books at Midnight
Summary: Emma and Killian wake up after their first night cuddling together. She sees his scars and asks him about them. He shares his memories and so does she. Post-finale. Long oneshot. Rated F for major fluffiness. Captain Swan aka babies 3


Second fanfic! I hope you enjoyed the first one! Thank you to all who left reviews, your kind words gave me the encouragement to publish this one too.

No one can get enough of Captain Swan so here's another drabble about them. I figured that Killian had been alive for 300 years or so then he would have had his share of scars. Emma who lived on the streets would also have her share of scars. So you can say that they're like 2 wounded souls finding comfort in each other. My babies *curls in the fetus position*

Hope you brushed your teeth because this story is filled with sweetness!

Reviews are really appreciated, ya'll have no idea!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time but I would love to be hired to work with them there!

Enjoy~

The clock went off at 8:15 as it always did every single morning.

Emma opened her eyes as she took in the rays of sunlight that engulfed their room. She hit the STOP button to quit its shrilling voice. She leaned back on her pillow listening to the rumbles of the ocean outside the balcony door as the waves crashed down on the soft sand. The sound gave her a certain peace she had long missed. Interrupting her morning thoughts, she felt a shift behind her. Emma turned her head and saw him sleeping beside her. The infamous most feared pirate in all the realms was in a deep slumber snoring softly. Emma stared at his face reading him with her eyes. The familiar cold feeling that accompanied her stomach whenever she was close to someone was gone. Instead, warmth and happiness engulfed her. It was the first morning that she did not want to run away as fast as her legs could carry her. It was the first time she felt home. She was home. He was her home. Her family was her home. Storybrooke was home. The feeling although new to her was not unwelcome.

He looked younger when he was out of his leather wardrobe and much younger when he was asleep. More relaxed. Wariness long gone. His breath came out soft and steady. His hair was all messed up and ruffled from sleep. It was the first time he'd gathered her in his arms and she slept with her head against his chest. She traced every line on his face with her eyes as she sunk deep into her thoughts. Was it absurd that she actually fell in love with someone who was supposed to be a fictional character? But seeing him there was real. His arms around her last night were real. When he whispered her name into her hair, it was real. She loved the way he said her name. Her first name: Emma. It felt tentative, shy filled with reverence and most importantly; love. The way he said it as if she was a fragile piece of art that had to be carried with the utmost care. Em-ma. She especially loved the "-ma" part because it felt like whisper that made the hair on the back of her neck rise with anticipation. She could feel the way his heart had beat last night. Loud, strong and firm. But there was a hint of disbelief in them. That maybe he was in a dream. A beautiful dream that he did not want to wake up from. Because when she shifted a bit due to her arm falling asleep, he had been hesitant to put his arms around her. It pained her to see that. To see that she had instilled this kind of fear in him: that she would run away. So she sat up, looked deeply into his eyes, placed herself against his chest firmly and took his arms around her hugging him closely. He released a sigh he hadn't known he had been holding back as he relaxed into her and her world….

"See something you like, love?" Killian said with his eyes still closed.

Emma felt a blush spreading from her cheeks to her neck, embarrassed to be caught staring.

A pair of ocean blues that shot a bolt of electricity through her entire being gazed at her as Killian flashed her one of his famous grins.

"As a matter of fact yes," said Emma praying that the pink hue had faded from her skin. "You look very peaceful and relaxed when you're asleep. It's hard to imagine you as a bloodthirsty swashbuckler filled with vengeance."

"Well, that is exactly why this bloodthirsty swashbuckler has his own quarters" said Killian, as suddenly grabbed Emma and tackled her into a morning hug.

Emma squealed and laughed kicking her legs at him,

"Stop. It tickles" she breathed out.

Killian stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Emma glanced up at him and realized what she had just done. His face light up with mischievous.

"Killian no…" she started but he cut her off tickling her neck and arms. Emma tried to get away from him, laughing, but couldn't manage as the pirates' strong arms kept her in place.

Her laugh was contagious. Once let out, it spread and he fell a victim to it. Emma was soon out of breath from the absurdity of the situation. _Tackled by Captain Hook. _He granted her mercy and stopped the torturous game so they could both get their breath back.

"I should not have said that," Emma sighed at him.

"But you did and now you have to bear the consequences that come with it," he said teasingly.

"You're not perfect yourself you know that right?" said Emma. "You may have won this round Captain, but there are future games to play"

"I look forward to them love" Killian said raising himself from under the white sheet into a sitting position. He opened his arms for her in invitation but Emma didn't move.

She stared at his chest and could not believe she did not notice them last night. But now that the sun has risen and had spread her rays into their room she could see that his torso was full of stories written in faint white scars. They were scattered but not abundant. But he did have more than one person could have in a lifetime. Well naturally, since he had lived for 300 years. _Captain freaking Hook. _There was one that intrigued her more than the rest; it was positioned right above his heart. It didn't look like a sword or knives work.

_So close_, she thought.

Killian caught her staring at the scar and said:

"This was done by an arrow."

Emma reached out and traced it with her fingers. She looked at him, eyes full of kindness and love.

"How did it happen? How did all of these happen?"

Killian took a deep breath and looked into her eyes.

"Emma, I know I am not whole or perfect for you and it kills me every single day. I cannot change my past and I cannot change who I am. 300 years is a long time, love. But I will try. It hasn't been a road full of happiness and sunshine. There is pain. A lot of it. And it haunts me every night, every day, every moment. I know I don't deserve you but I am a selfish man. I need you, Emma."

Emma put her hands against his cheeks and forced him to look into her eyes

"What do you think I have been doing for the past 28 years? Living in my palace with my mother the queen and my father the king? Eating caviar? Basking in the arms of luxury? Killian, I lived on the streets and I had to fight for myself. I have done things I am not proud of and I know you have to." She placed her hands on his chest and said: "Look, if you show me your scars, I'll show you mine."

They sat cross-legged from each other on the bed and he told her about the arrow scar.

"It was long ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of those few times when Death had been staring me right in the face. You get many scars from fighting with the Lost Boys and Neverland itself is a dangerous place to live in, even without the Lost Boys. But, I did not attain this from the Pan. It was long ago when I was a lieutenant with my brother."

"Liam." Emma said.

"Aye, Liam." He said, memories of his brother rushing down on him. "He was the bravest man I have ever had the honor to meet. He was honorable too. Always going on about "good form"."

Emma smiled softly, finally knowing where he got his motto in life.

"Anyway, we were at sea, doing a couple of rounds to make sure everything was in check. You know, keeping the pirates away." He looked at her humor filling his eyes.

Emma laughed.

"Well, out of the blue we were attacked by one of the most infamous pirate at that time; Redbeard…"

"Wait, he's real too?" Emma exclaimed.

"As real as they come," Killian said. "I had the fortune of ridding the world of him but that was later. After I became a pirate."

Emma was speechless. He continued his story.

"He came out of blue, and suddenly they were blowing canons at our ship. Did some good damage to her too." Killian's eyes darkened with memory and Emma could see a hint of the old pirate in him and understood why he was very much feared.

"His pirates started invading the ship. As we were unprepared, we were under a disadvantage. They threw arrows and killed a fine part of our men. Liam was about to be hit with an unsuspecting arrow, but I saw it as it left its quiver. So I jumped in front of it. Luckily, as you can see it missed its point and I lived. But not after many weeks of fever and hallucinations. Redbeard's arrows are famous to be dipped in some sort of poison that makes you suffer before you can finally let go and die."

"How did you live?" Emma said in hushed tones.

"Liam would not rest until he could find a cure." He said his voice cracking, overwhelmed with emotion. It has been more than 300 years, but his brother's death was still as fresh. "He brought me to many Leeches. You call them Doctors here I suppose. But they had no cure. I was near death. I could feel it's cold cling onto my heart. One of the sailors had told Liam of the fairies magic. So he sought them out begging for their help. Pitying my brother, and seeing, as we were our only family, they agreed. They gave him a chalice filled with a golden liquid. I was about to let my last breath out when he rushed in. Thank heavens he had come in time. As it would appear, the only souvenir it left me with was this scar."

They stayed silent for a quite a while. Emma leaned in to hug him.

"I'm so sorry for your bother," She whispered into his neck. "I would have loved to meet him."

Killian didn't say anything but hugged her back. Emma slid her hands down his back and felt a rough, hard texture under her hands. She sat back and took a peek at his back. Emma stifled back a gasp. She looked at him with horror in her eyes.

"Were you _whipped_?" She nearly yelled.

Killian looked at her his eyes softening at her concern for him. Never had he dreamed that he would ever be blessed enough to gain the love of this golden angel beside him.

"Aye, I was," he said amused at her innocence. "All most all respectable pirates have been whipped at some time in their life."

"Tell me what happened," she demanded her eyes flashing in fright.

"It's alright love," he said stroking her cheek. "It was a very long time ago. They don't hurt anymore. I was whipped when I was lad."

"_A kid_?" Emma cried out. Suddenly a flash of what 10 year old Killian would have looked like flashed through he mind. Alone and scared. He had told her that his dad had abandoned him when he was young but she did not press more into it knowing the exact feelings that he went through.

"Aye. Probably about Henry's age now. Or a bit younger. At the age where I had lived as a young boy, times were tough. It was the beginning of the ogre wars and food was scarce. It was after my father had abandoned me and I was like you, living on the streets. To make a long story short, I was caught stealing a few apples and got whipped 15 times for it."

"_15 times!"_ Emma could not begin to fathom how this man was able to survive all these years. "What the hell? You were a kid! A little boy! What is wrong with them?"

"The country was in much debt and yes the rules were very harsh. If you got caught stealing meat, you would have been hanged. Fruits and bread were of minor punishment. 15 lashes across the back in the town square."

Emma was speechless. She felt a tear escaping her eye and trickling down her cheek. Killian caught it before it reached her chin and said:

"Love, I am sorry you had to hear this. But it's all right. Things went really well when Liam found me. He was 10 years older than I was. Apparently, our father had met his mother before mine. She told him of me at her deathbed. And Liam being Liam set out to find me because he knew exactly what a scoundrel our father had been. He had been friends with the guards at the castle for a long time and they had allowed him to become a part of the training for the king's fleet. He was much higher than me in station so he was able to get me in. Soon, I was sailing under his command and all was well for a couple of good years. I was happy and so was he."

Emma smiled and kissed him. She ran her hands down his arms as he pressed forward into her. Emma reached towards where his left hand should have been. Killian jumped backwards and away from Emma. Emma stared at him in confusion.

"Swan, don't." he said his eyes staring at the duvet.

"Don't what, Killian?" Emma asked breathlessly.

"Don't… I.. I'm sorry for not being whole." He whispered. "If there's anything I could erase from my past it's this."

"But I don't want you to," Emma retorted at him. "I don't want you to change anything at all. I want you like this. Not some other form of you that could have been if you have made other decisions because that's not the Killian that I fell.." She stopped short realizing what she was about to say.

Killian's head snapped up at her and he stared at her with wonderment. Emma flushed red at her outburst.

"What I'm trying to say is that I accept you as you are. You want to erase what you did in the past but as bad as it sounds, I don't want you to. Because every decision that you made brought you up to point where we met you under those pile of bodies."

She took his stump in her hands and brought it to her heart.

"I don't give a damn that you're one handed. In fact, I adore that about you," she said tentatively at the word "adore". "You might not be perfect but you are perfect to me. So don't ever bring up anything like I will not accept you for you because that is not true and it hurts me when I see you in pain like this. You don't ever have to hide from me, Killian. Ever. Understand?"

He nodded his head too overcome with emotion to speak. Emma climbed up on his lap and hugged him close playing with his hair as she murmured sweet things into his ear until he was able to clear his throat and felt the faint shakings subside.

"I think that's enough of you telling your stories. My turn now." She whispered quietly. Birds fluttered outside their window singing melodies that brought a calmness to both of them. The ocean continued with its chime, Emma could almost feel the waves tickling her feet. She leaned back hesitantly and lifted her shirt to reveal a scar running along her abdomen.

"I got this when I was 15 years old. It was shortly after I ran away from foster care and was new to the streets. It's like a mafia there." Emma quickly corrected herself due to Killian not being familiar with modern talk just yet. "Mafia means like a group of people who terrorize civilians. So if you're new to the streets. There is a good chance that you'll be beaten up quickly. I had wandered into the wrong neighborhood and stole a few things from one of the groceries that the mafia of that neighborhood had control over. They saw me as I was running away and came after me. I was able to get away with only this scar. It could have been worse."

Killian traced it with his fingers touching her with such reverence and gentleness Emma could feel her heart swell ten times bigger than it is. He looked at her and said:

"It's beautiful. Just like you."

Emma laughed and said: "No it isn't but thank you. I've hated this scar more than I can tell you. But I've gotten used to it. It's part of me now and it gives me a story to tell. And there's this one on my arm. It's kinda fading now, but I was running away from the police and tripped on a wire where of course, there happened to be pieces of glass lying around and it cut me. Also one time, I had trespassed over to a private zone and the guard dog there chased after me. He took a nip at my ankle. See, right there, I was so afraid it was going to be infected but thank god, it didn't. That proves that I was a pirate too. If living on the streets and stealing here and there would count as one." She smiled playfully.

"I told you there was a little pirate in you, Swan. Turns out it was there all along. Hidden. But I doubt, my love, that your shenanigans were as daredevilish as mine have been."

"Well, you could teach me all about the daredevilish shenanigans now, won't you" she giggled. _Wait what _she thought, _I don't giggle._

"And turn Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter into a fearless, law-breaking bandit. Dave would have my head." He said with a glint of jest in his tone.

"Well, lucky for you. I am the sheriff and I think I can make an exception." She whispered before she pulled his head down to hers nestling herself in his warmth. They stayed in their happy bliss for a while. Not realizing how long the time had passed. No one passing by their little cottage by the sea could imagine two people who could be more in love. Laughter along with soft hushed voices accompanied by deep sweet kisses that had the taste of hot cocoa with cinnamon and rum mixed together was a bliss that Emma would not have traded for anything in the world.

"_A little pirate in you." _Emma's mind floated far away, dreaming of a sweet dimple child with her eyes and his hair color. Or his eyes and her hair. Or they could have both. One of each.

_Someday_, Emma thought as she gazed up at the handsome face above her. _Definitely someday._


End file.
